


Movie Dates with the Alpha

by Sybilina



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Exhibitionism, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Phone Sex, Pre-Slash, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-22
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-11-26 10:00:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/649386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sybilina/pseuds/Sybilina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles is off to college and gets homesick one Friday night, so he calls Derek.  When Derek finds out Stiles is out of Flex spending money, Derek orders him a pizza.  And then they watch a movie.  For some reason, it becomes a weekly thing.  It's not weird.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Stiles grunted as he tripped over the towel that he'd placed at his dorm room doorway when the snow had really started to fall. He wasn't used to snow, not in the beginning anyway, and it had taken a week or two to fully realize that no towel meant lots of dirt, slush, and wet grossness to deal with when he wanted to venture down the hall to the bathroom.

He nearly threw his backpack onto his desk chair as he fought for balance. The biggest drawback of the towel, however, was the way it always got crumpled up when he walked in and then proceeded to wrap itself around his feet.

“Why did you call, Stiles?” Derek sounded bored with only a hint of irritation.

“Because! Scott is M.I.A., either busy with classes or busy with Allison, and Lydia is busy studying and everyone here wants to go to a frat party but I'm actually getting sick of them. Last week, I went to this one that had nearly an inch, no joke, of beer on the ground. Actually, it might have been more than just beer now that I'm thinking about it. Now I'm even more grossed out.” He shuddered as he remembered. Luckily, he'd been wearing boots then, instead of his sneakers.

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Stiles grimaced as he untied his boots, which were soaking wet with the slush he'd walked through to get to his dorm.

“I miss California winters,” he whined. “There's just... white crap falling from the sky _all the time_. And they don't even cancel classes! If there was even half this back in Beacon Hills, it would be borderline state of emergency!”

“Don't you have studying to do?” Derek said, sighing.

“Of course I do,” Stiles said. “Midterms are next week. Oh god. Next week.” Then he shook his head. “But today is Friday and all I want is to curl up with some pizza and watch a movie.”

“I repeat, why did you call?”

“I don't know! I'm homesick or something. Whatever, Derek, if you have more important things to be doing, fine, I'll talk to you... I don't know, over Christmas break or something.”

He started to pull the phone away from his ear to hit the hang up button when he heard Derek growl. “I didn't say I have more important things to do.”

“You're not saying much of anything besides, 'why did you call' which can only be interpreted as annoyance for the phone call.”

He could hear Derek sigh on the other side of the line but it was calculated, as if Derek was trying to keep it quiet and unheard. “What movie are you going to watch?”

Stiles shrugged. “Haven't decided yet. It's almost November, maybe I should watch V for Vendetta. You know, 'Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gunpowder, treason, and plot.' But then again, it's Halloween soon, maybe I should watch a scary movie. I haven't seen Psycho in a while.”

“I've never seen V for Vendetta.”

“Are you kidding me?” Stiles moved around his room, kicking the dirty laundry away from his bed. He kept meaning to do the laundry but every time he remembered it, he was busy with something else. Like right now. Luckily, he'd somehow gotten blessed with a lack of a roommate. Well, he had a roommate in the beginning but they'd found a friend to room with on the second floor, put in some papers, and promptly moved out. “You got to watch it. Turn on your computer.”

During their senior year in high school, the pack had convinced Derek to move into an apartment. Then Stiles, with the help of Lydia and Jackson, and the hindrance of Scott and Isaac, had furnished the apartment with necessities, including an actual bed, a fridge with actual food, and a desktop computer with internet. Derek had glared and growled pretty much the entire time but he hadn't really put up a fight about it.

Stiles turned on his laptop, angling it on the desk so he could see it from his bed, and found the website with V for Vendetta on it. “Go to this website and then let it load for a few minutes,” he told Derek when he heard the Windows start-up tune.

He rubbed his stomach when it growled. He was fresh out of flex spending money and he'd used all his meal passes for the week. He had a few things of ramen in the drawer and some spaghettios but he was trying to save them for emergencies.

“Did you order your pizza already?” Derek asked. Stiles could hear clicking of the keyboard as Derek slowly entered in the website.

Stiles groaned. “I can't. I'm fresh out of money. It's either a ramen night or a starve night. I'm probably going to go with starve, to be honest. I've had ramen pretty much every other day this week and I'll probably need the rest next week when I'm studying between exams.”

Derek growled.

“What? It's not my fault! I'm still a growing boy.” Stiles heard a click and looked at the phone. Call ended. “Well, that was rude.” He spent the next few minutes checking his email, his facebook, and double checking the flex plan amount online, pouting at the $3.32 in the account balance section. No way three dollars would get him a pizza, or pretty much anything close to sufficient to sate his stomach.

His ringtone set for Derek started playing: “Asshole calling!” and Stiles grinned. It wasn't often that Derek actually called him instead of the other way around so he'd actually forgotten that he'd set that as his ringtone. He hoped Derek never found out.

“Did your finger slip or something?” he asked sarcastically when he picked up.

Derek huffed. “Your pizza will be there in thirty five minutes.”

Stiles froze. “What?”

“Pizza. And cheesy bread. You're going to have to find something to drink though, I didn't order you any soda.”

“What?”

“Did you fall on your head? Pizza. Cheese, sauce, sausage and bacon, all on flattened and rounded dough? Sound familiar?”

“Did you just call and order me pizza?”

“Don't worry about the money, it's paid for.”

“What?”

“Oh my god,” Derek said and the line went dead again.

Stiles nearly tossed his phone to the floor as he fumbled to call Derek back.

“What. Do you want.”

“You ordered me pizza.”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” Derek said stiffly. “What is this movie about, anyway?”

Sure enough, a little over half an hour later, there was a knock on his door. His mouth watered the instant he opened it.

“Hey,” he said into the phone after he'd thanked the delivery man. He hadn't felt right hanging up and Derek hadn't suggested it, so they'd ended up watching the first thirty minutes together. They'd both paused it at the same part when the pizza man knocked. “Thank you, again, for the pizza. How did you know what kind to get?”

“The pack has ordered pizza often enough, Stiles. And you're pretty vocal about what you want the toppings to be every time.

Stiles folded over the first slice and groaned in delight as he bit into it. He had to put the phone down for a minute to mop up the grease that dribbled down his chin but he didn't even mind. He was pretty sure even his pupils were dilated in happiness.

When he picked the phone back up, Derek spoke. “Did you need a moment with your pizza?”

“I did. We definitely had a moment. Pretty sure I'm going to marry this pizza.”

He could imagine Derek rolling his eyes. “Are you ready to watch the movie now?”

When the movie was over, and half the pizza gone, they stayed on the phone talking about the movie. Stiles had to give Derek a history lesson about Guy Fawkes and the actual story behind it. They talked about the metaphors and symbols in the movie and eventually moved on to talking about the guys who made the movie, going into discussions about The Matrix and comics. Before Stiles knew it, it was one in the morning and his eyes were drifting shut. He didn't want to hang up because it had been too long since he could chat with someone about comics and movies but he was pretty sure his words were slurring with sleep.

He woke up with a jump around two thirty. He was pretty sure he'd had a falling dream and he realized he was indeed treacherously close to the edge of the bed. Somehow, his phone was still near his ear and, when he picked it up, the seconds were still ticking by.

“Derek?” he whispered into the phone. Knowing Derek, he could be having creeper withdrawals and might actually still be on the line listening to the room and Stiles sleeping. Then again, maybe he'd fallen asleep just like Stiles and, if that were true, Stiles didn't really want to wake him up. “Derek?” he whispered again. When there was still no answer, Stiles grinned. “Goodnight, Derek.” Then he hung up and climbed into bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week Two: Stiles gets sick.

The next week, mid-terms were finally over but Stiles was feeling a new kind of hell approaching – either he'd developed a wicked cold or the flu that had been going around at the end of September had finally caught up to him. So, even though his study group for his chem class had invited him out to a show at the student union that Friday night, he had to decline. All he wanted was to curl up in bed and go to sleep.

Instead, he found himself calling Derek.

“Are you broke again?”

Stiles scoffed at the phone. “That is no way to say hello to your favorite human pack mate, damn it.” He coughed, away from the phone because even though Derek was a jerk he didn't deserve hacking in his ear.

“Are you sick?”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “No, I just stuffed some tissues up my nose because it sounded like fun. All the other kids were doing it.”

“Go to bed, Stiles. Have some soup. Drink some juice.”

“Well, for one, I'm not hungry. For two, I am completely lacking in both of those.”

“So you are broke.”

“I'm not broke,” Stiles said. Sure, his account balance was at zero officially but he still had twenty dollars in cash. He could have swung by the grocery store but the effort of the trip had looked daunting and he had given up the moment he stepped outside. “I just didn't have a chance to get to the store.”

Derek sighed loudly. “Hot and sour or the Mei Fun Noodle?”

“What?”

“Nevermind.”

He heard the line cut off as Derek hung up on him. Stiles sighed and started up his computer. He could call him back but, looking at the phone, he decided it was too much effort. He dug around for some cold medication but all he had was ibuprofen. If he did have the flu, he probably had a fever, and he did actually have a headache, so he downed a couple pills. As soon as he logged into Netflix and started to browse for something to watch (even though he had hundreds in his queue, he barely ever looked there – it was like he was saving them for a special purpose or something), his phone rang: _Asshole calling._ Stiles glared at it before picking up.

“I ordered both and some juices, too. Just put whatever you don't drink or eat tonight in your fridge and heat it up tomorrow.”

“Did you just order me food again?”

“Isn't that what I just said?”

“Why? I mean, thank you, but why?”

“Because you said you didn't have any,” Derek growled.

“I don't. Hey, no, thank you. I appreciate it. Like, a lot. That means I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow. But like... I'm not trying to guilt trip you or anything into doing that, that's not why I call, you know.”

“I know,” Derek growled again. Stiles could almost see the way he was grinding his teeth.

There was silence for a moment, other than Stiles's heavy breathing through his mouth. Then he coughed, putting down the phone until he caught his breath again.

“Stiles, have you gone to the doctor's yet?”

He waved a hand in front of his face in dismissal, even though Derek couldn't see him. “It's just a cold. I'm fine.”

“How long have you been sick?” There was none of the previous irritation in his voice and Stiles felt an unexpected warmth in his stomach at the apparent concern.

“It started yesterday, just a sore throat, but today it hit me full force. I'll probably be feeling better by Sunday.”

“If you're not, go to the doctor's.”

“The health building is on the other side of campus, Derek.”

“I don't care if it's on the other side of the town,” he growled, his voice rising slowly. “If you're not feeling better by Sunday, you're going to see a doctor, if I have to catch a flight and drag you there myself.”

“Jeez, okay, calm down, Alpha.” He sneezed a couple times before continuing. “I'll go to see a doctor if I'm not feeling better by Sunday. I promise.”

Derek huffed but Stiles took it as acceptance.

“Are your eyes back to normal now?” Stiles said mockingly.

There was a low rumble from the other side and Stiles rolled his eyes. Derek was apparently in one of his less talkative moods.

“Want to watch another movie?”

Stiles wasn't sure if it was because he was sick and Derek was taking pity on him or if maybe Derek was actually just bored enough to indulge, but they ended up watching another movie together. They decided on a horror movie, since Halloween was now just days away. After he finished eating, thanking Derek yet again for his unexpected generosity, to which Derek just huffed and told him not to mention it, he curled up under about five different blankets and finished watching the movie. Every now and then, he grinned when he heard Derek on the other side of the line huff in amusement or annoyance at the screen, considering most Netflix horror movies available on instant were more laughable than scary. It wasn't long before Stiles was drifting in and out of sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

It became a regular thing after that. Stiles began to look forward to his Friday night movies with Derek. It just so happened that his flex money and meal hall passes would run out right around lunch time on Fridays and Derek was already looking up delivery options for him by the time he called. One time, Stiles tried to convince Derek not to order him food, that maybe the freshman fifteen was actually a thing and he should maybe watch what he ate, but Derek told him it was good exercise for Derek to have to look up the menus and phone numbers on the computer, so Stiles was actually doing him a favor. Stiles wasn't sure how true that was but if it meant free food and less guilt, he'd take it.

They tended to stay away from anything with werewolves and romantic comedies. Anything else was fair game. He'd even convinced Derek to watch Firefly one week so they could watch Serenity that Friday.

“That was ridiculous,” Derek said as soon as he picked up the phone.

Stiles felt his heart drop. It wasn't often he met someone who wasn't a Firefly fan but it did sometimes happen. “What, you didn't like it?”

“It ended too soon.”

Stiles waited a beat and then laughed outright. “Jesus, you had me worried for a minute.”

“Well, the graphics weren't great but the writing is good and the characters are stupidly endearing.”

“You say that like you're angry about it.”

“I am. It ended. That's bullshit.”

“Preaching to the choir, buddy. But, hey, full-length movie.”

“I'm not sure I want to watch it now.”

“What?” Stiles felt his voice reach a pitch it rarely ever attained. “Why?”

“They can't possibly cover everything and answer all my questions and stay true to the pace of the story and the personalities of all the characters in two hours or less.”

“Dude, the writer has had lots of practice. Trust me, you'll like it.”

Derek sighed, a huff of resigned annoyance. Stiles was getting used to his non-verbal reactions. “What do you want for dinner?”

Stiles tried to keep the smile off his face, knowing Derek could hear it in his voice. “Chinese is fine.”

“What are you grinning about?

“Nothing. Just eager to get on with the movie.”

“You want to skip dinner?” Though it had been months since Stiles had seen his face, he could picture perfectly the look on Derek's face: teasing with a hint of a challenge.

“No! No, I'm really hungry, I've been studying like a madman, I didn't even have lunch! I'm starving!”

“Did you run out of meals early this week?”

“No, I was just busy. I had a cereal bar,” he offered. Something was better than nothing, right?

Stiles could hear a low rumble coming from the back of Derek's throat. Stiles rolled his eyes but resigned himself to the lecture he was about to receive. 

“Stiles, the last time you got sick was around mid-terms, remember that? And it was because you were stressed out. If you slack on eating right around finals, you're going to end up sick again.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Stiles said, only slightly mocking. “I'll remember to eat from now on.”

Derek hung up. Stiles grinned as he quickly changed into his pajamas and got his computer set up for the movie. He wondered what it meant that Derek didn't even need to ask what Stiles wanted anymore when he ordered the food.

“Seriously, Stiles. Don't get sick again,” Derek said when he called back, before Stiles had even said a word. Then his tone switched from worried mother hen to annoyed older brother. “You'll end up coming back for vacation and getting everyone else sick. It's bad enough having one pack member sick, I can't deal with all of them at once.”

“Aw, you care, you really, really care,” Stiles said in a sing-song.

Derek growled a warning. “Just press play, you idiot.”

Somehow, he'd fallen asleep right before Wash's classic line and only woke up once the movie was over. The phone line was quiet but the seconds were still ticking by.

“Derek?” Stiles whispered. Sometimes he just hung up without even saying Derek's name, half in and half out of sleep and unable to even form that much on his tongue, but other times he checked to see if Derek was awake. Derek never answered him and Stiles was convinced they usually fell asleep around the same time. It was early December, only two weeks before finals and the beginning of winter break. “Derek, you awake?”

Still only silence.

“You know, you're a lot nicer than you pretend to be when you first meet people,” Stiles continued quietly. If Derek was awake, that would probably be enough to make him splutter with indignation.

The line stayed quiet. Stiles wondered if maybe there was a glitch in the phone and he had actually hung up a while ago but the phone was still acting as if it were a live line.

“I'm really glad we do this,” he continued. “I mean, I've got friends and they like to do stuff on Friday nights, but I'd much rather do this. I don't know, maybe I'm not a very good college student, but I like to have a night indoors, with good food and good movies and, even though it's just a phone call, good company. It gives me a chance to unwind and destress from the week.” Stiles blinked and rubbed his eyes. “Anyway. Goodnight, Derek.”


	4. Chapter 4

The next week, Derek ordered him Indian food and they watched the Grindhouse double feature. Stiles liked Death Proof a little more than Planet Terror, so they watched Planet Terror first. 

For once, Stiles was perfectly awake by the time the movie ended. He'd made sure to stock up on five hour energy drinks earlier in the day, to maintain a specific level of alertness during the movies.

“Well. That was sufficiently gross, horribly disturbing, and yet, oddly entertaining,” Derek said when the credits were still rolling.

“You sound like a stuffy movie critic with a rebel attitude.”

“I am what I am. Is Death Proof going to be like that?”

“Different director. There are parallels and connections but they're minor and fairly unimportant.”

“How was the food?”

“Delicious, thank you, again. Hey, can I ask you a question?”

Derek made a noise in the back of his throat that Stiles was pretty sure was a hesitant go-ahead.

“Why do you always order me food? I mean, I'm not complaining, totally not complaining, I love it. But like... is it like, I get Fridays, Jackson gets Tuesdays, Lydia gets Thursdays? Or is this a Stiles Special?”

“Does it matter?”

“Um,” Stiles said. It did matter. It mattered a lot. If Stiles was getting special treatment, then why? Should he be putting more thought into these weekly occurrences or were they something Derek did for everyone? Stiles wasn't even sure he knew what he wanted the answer to be. “I'm just curious.”

“Well don't be. Do you have Death Proof loaded already?”

Stiles let it go.

He fell asleep at the first car accident. Fat lot of good the five hours did. He woke up a couple of times to Derek talking to the computer, which made him grin. He'd learned over the past few weeks that Derek only really talked during a movie when he actually liked it. As much as Stiles wanted to stay awake and argue or yell at the movie with Derek, he just couldn't do it.

He drifted into a fairly deep sleep and woke up at three in the morning. He turned off his computer, still holding the phone to his ear because the seconds were still ticking by. He felt weird hanging up the phone now without saying goodnight, even though Derek never said goodnight back.

Then he crawled back under the blankets and just lay there, listening to the silence. He couldn't even hear Derek breathe. He wondered if the phone had slipped when Derek fell asleep.

“I think I miss you,” Stiles whispered into the phone. “I mean, physically. God that sounds weird. I don't mean in a sexytimes kind of way. We're not sexytimes friends. Not that you're not cute and all, you know you are. And I am actually kind of... No.

“I mean, not that we're very physical when we're together but... no, actually, you're pretty physical with me. You do this thing where you always slam me against doors or push me out of the way. You're always getting in my space. 

“Don't laugh, but I kind of like it. I don't... no, I do, actually, like the bruises even. It's stupid. I'm stupid. I mean, what kind of sane person enjoys getting physically injured by a werewolf slamming them into things?

“But ever since my mom died, I... I mean, the only time my dad and I hug is when, say, I get beaten up. Moments of fear and worry. In a way, I'm glad they're far and few between, but I kind of wish we hugged more.

“But when you get physical, it's in this protective kind of way. Even when you're slamming me against doors or crowding me, I know you're doing it to scare me for my own good. Like you're trying to make me go away to stay safe.

“Not that it works. Good try, I'll give you that. It's nice, though. Knowing that's the reasoning behind it all. You really do embody that whole Alpha personality. When I call you Alpha, I'm not mocking. I really mean it.

“I mean. It would be nice if you showed your affection through slightly less violent means. A hug. A light punch to the shoulder. Wrestling. Actually, I'd be scared to wrestle you, but if you were really, really gentle, it would probably be fun.

“But here, I haven't really met anyone to be physical with. And I don't mean sex. I mean, I do want sex. I haven't lost my v card yet. I'm not even really in a rush to lose it, though. I'd be pretty content with someone to hug and cuddle with. I just want the intimacy. The physical contact.”

Stiles felt the blood rush to his face. “Did I just tell you I'm still a virgin? Oh my god, you better be asleep. What am I even doing, talking to a sleeping werewolf? Jeez. I'm a lot stupider than I thought I was.

“Anyway. Goodnight, Derek.”


	5. Chapter 5

_Asshole calling._

Stiles winced. It wasn't quite as funny now as it had been a few weeks ago. He made a mental note to change the ringtone. “Hey! Oh my god, I've been busy.”

“Your pizza should be there in fifteen minutes,” Derek said.

“Oh my god, you already called? Derek, you are... oh my god, you're the bomb!”

“We're watching It's a Wonderful Life tonight.”

“Okay, that's cool. Oh my god!” Stiles stopped to catch his breath but only for a moment. He had gotten in from the blistering cold just ten minutes before, after running around last minute dropping off essays that were due that day, and he was haphazardly throwing clothes at his suitcase in an attempt to get his packing done. The dorm room would still be his when he came back in January but he didn't want to be caught several states away without his favorite hoodie or his new PS3 game. He dug through his closet, pulling out random shirts and games with the phone tucked into the crook of his neck.

“Stiles. Sit down. Breathe.”

“I am, I am breathing, but my flight is tomorrow and I haven't packed and I only just got in and I'm probably going to forget something, I don't want to forget something but I probably will, oh my god.”

“Stop. Sit,” Derek said with his Alpha voice. “Damn, Stiles, I can hear your heartbeat going a mile a minute, just calm down.”

“That might be related to the energy drinks. I had three finals today, Derek. Three!” He did sit down, though, on the edge of his bed. “I'm good, I'm okay. Oh my god, I'm starving. But good, I'm good.”

“When does your plane get in?”

“I leave here around ten in the morning, yay me for booking my flight way in advance, and there's one layover but my dad is picking me up around two in the afternoon.”

“When do classes start back up?”

“January... um... somewhere around the twentieth? Don't make me think about it, I'm still reeling from this semester.”

“Anything special planned for Christmas?”

“Nah, just my dad and me, as usual. We'll probably stop by the cemetery, say merry Christmas to my mom. How about you?”

Derek was silent just long enough for Stiles to mentally kick himself in the ass. Before he could apologize or make any attempts to backtrack, Derek cleared his throat. “Are you a little calmer now?”

He realized he was breathing a lot slower now and his heartbeat, which Derek could probably hear anyway, was a lot slower. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“Get the door.”

Stiles jumped at the knock right after Derek spoke. “I hate it when you do that,” he hissed into the phone before setting it down.

Once Stiles was set up with the pizza on his table next to him and the movie loading, he picked the phone back up. “Stiles.”

Stiles blinked. The way Derek said it was slightly reprimanding but Stiles couldn't understand why. “What?”

“You always fall asleep.”

What did that have to do with anything? “Yeah? So do you.”

There was a beat of silence, just long enough for Stiles to get an inkling of fear. Then Derek sighed. “You really want to sleep in your jeans?”

Stiles looked down and sure enough, he was still in his clothes from the day.

“How do you know I didn't change?”

“Werewolf, remember? I know what the sound of changing clothes sounds like.”

Stiles huffed. “God you're weird.” Without even warning Derek, he set the phone down while he changed into his pajamas. The dorm rooms were a lot colder than he liked so, even though he usually just slept in boxers and a t-shirt at home, he found it more prudent to wear pajama pants to bed here. He even threw on his hoodie to wear while he watched the movie and ate his pizza. Then he picked the phone back up. “Happy now?”

“Very. Press play.”

Stiles surprised himself by staying awake throughout the entire movie. By the end, he felt his eyelids getting droopy, but he held strong and, when it ended, he got up and shut off his computer.

“I used to watch that with Laura every year,” Derek said quietly.

And just like that, Stiles was wide awake.

“When we lived in New York, that is. It was my parents' favorite Christmas movie. We never liked it when they were alive but... The first year after the fire, we had just settled into an apartment and Laura was checking the television channels. We didn't have cable but they were playing that movie on one of the basic stations.”

Stiles was silent. He didn't know what to say or even if he should say anything. Maybe words would break the mood.

“Thanks for watching it with me. It's been a while since I had company and... yeah. Thanks.”

“No, yeah, hey. Thank _you_ for letting me watch it with you,” Stiles said. He had to physically bite his tongue to prevent any more diarrhea of the mouth.

“Yeah,” Derek said. “Sure.”

They were quiet for a few more minutes. “Thank you, by the way. For... the food and the movies. In the beginning, I thought I was going to get a bad case of homesickness but... this helped. A lot.”

“Your dad misses you.”

Stiles's eyebrows shot up. “My dad? How do you know?”

“I... bump into him from time to time at the grocery store. We chat. I've been trying to get on his good side.”

Stiles was stumped. For one, Derek and his father lived on opposite sides of town. There were at least two grocery stores Derek could go to that were closer. And for two, Derek's been chatting with his father? His father chats back? There's chatting going on between them? “Why?”

Derek growled. “You're pack. So even though he's _not_ pack, I still watch out for him. For you.”

Stiles felt his breath hitch. For a moment, he couldn't say anything. “Wow. I um...”

“Don't. It's fine. I keep an eye on Melissa, and Erica's parents, and everyone else's families, too.”

“Yeah, but still, Derek, that's... you have history with my dad. He arrested you.”

“It's nothing,” he said quickly.

“What do you guys 'chat' about?”

“Nothing.”

Stiles imagined Derek and his father standing in the ice cream aisle, staring at each other awkwardly for minutes on end as other people passed by them with raised eyebrows, until finally they nodded at each other and walked in opposite directions. “Yeah, nothing, right. Seriously. What do you talk about?”

Derek sighed. “You, mostly. He knows we're friends. He knows we talk every week. He just tries to get an update, see how you're doing.”

Stiles fought a grin until he realized no one was there to see him. Then he let it spread across his face shamelessly. “That's really nice.”

Stiles heard Derek grunt through the receiver. “I'm going to bed now. Goodnight, Stiles. Have a safe flight.”

“Thanks, Derek. Goodnight.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was difficult. I struggled through half of it but I think it worked out okay.

Christmas break was confusing. Stiles didn't expect movies but when he didn't get movies, he was confused. And then he was confused as to why he was confused.

There were a lot more pack meetings than he thought were strictly necessary, though. After the initial excitement of the holidays wore down, Derek was calling a meeting almost every other day. Usually it was at the Hale house in the woods, but other times it was in his apartment. He had the wolves doing meditating and breathing exercises, determined that they were going to be able to sift out a couple dozen different smells all at once. For these, he had Lydia and Stiles play with the candles and differently scented clothes, not that Stiles could usually tell. The scents were so mild, you pretty much had to be a werewolf to tell they were there. Sometimes, when these meetings ran late, someone ended up ordering food and Scott and Isaac would wrestle with the controller for the television before somehow settling on a compromise for a movie or a show.

This happened a few times every week. Stiles would settle in on the couch and let the wolves wrestle it out, because he wasn't nearly so stupid as to try to get in the middle of that, though he did offer up a rather colorful narration of the wrestling. Usually Derek would take the spot next to him, though neither of them acknowledged it. As the others would settle down, the couch would get crowded and Derek would inevitably end up scrunched against Stiles. While he didn't really mind, he did find it slightly odd that Derek never took the recliner, which was made for one person and one person only.

Other than that, their Friday night movies seemed to be a thing of the past and definitely one of those Never To Be Spoken Of Again, Ever topics. Stiles felt a pang of regret and a growing sense of anxiety for when he went back to school.

Luckily, nothing exciting happened. There were no run-ins with hunters, no out-of-area wolves encroaching on Derek's territory, no Alpha packs challenging the Hale pack. It was pleasantly quiet and peaceful.

Too soon, it seemed, classes started back up and Stiles was settled back into his dorm room. It was kind of bittersweet. On the one hand, he loved having his own room and not having to worry about his father downstairs. It was nice, let's be honest here, being able to look up porn and not have to worry about a werewolf dropping in. It was nice being able to walk around naked.

But he was already missing the closeness. The way Scott would shove him playfully when they got out of the car at a meeting. The way his dad steered him out of his way when they were setting the table and Stiles wasn't paying attention. The feel of Derek pressed against him on the couch. The hugs and cheek-kisses that Lydia had given him regularly throughout the month he'd been home. 

The first Friday he was back, he tried not to pay attention to his phone. He knew it was silly to think about, silly to expect him to call, but he couldn't help but make sure his schedule was free for that night, despite numerous attempts to lure him out to a party or two.

Finally, after cleaning his room, reading several passages that were due the next week, and unpacking even though he'd been back for almost a week, he broke and called Derek.

“Stiles.”

Stiles grinned. The way Derek had said his name held not even a hint of annoyance. It was just an acknowledgement. “You really don't know how to say hello, do you?”

“Hello.”

Stiles thought about it for a moment. “Nah, it sounds weird. You should practice.”

The familiar click of the call ending came through.

Stiles laughed as he hit redial.

“Hello, Stiles.”

He nodded. “Yeah, that was a little bit better.”

“You really might be adding on those freshman fifteen if you're already out of money.”

He huffed. “I'm not out of money.” Then he shook his head, realizing what he was implying. “I just... wondering... how my dad is. Considering you chat with him all the time.”

“We haven't spoken since you left. I'm sure he's fine.”

“Okay. Cool.”

There was a moment of silence. Stiles bounced his leg as he spun gently in his desk chair.

“How's... everyone else?”

“You want a full rundown of everything that's happened in the last five days?”

“Well. A synopsis would be fine, really.”

Stiles heard Derek smile, which he never would have thought possible, to actually hear a smile, until Derek did it. “Scott is already behind in his school work. Melissa has asked me to help him this semester.”

“You? Schoolwork?”

“You do realize that I went to college when Laura and I were living in New York, right?”

Stiles felt his jaw drop. “Are you kidding me? What the hell did you study?”

“Psychology.”

Stiles stopped bouncing, stunned into silence.

“Seriously, you all act like I was raised by pack of wolves.”

Stiles snorted, a hesitant, 'did he just say what I think he said?' kind of snort, before erupting in laughter.

When the laughter died down to giggles here and there as Stiles wiped away the tears, Derek went on. “Anyway. Isaac got a job at the grocery store. Peter decided to buy the video store. Some stupid sense of remorse for destroying it.”

“Well, that's nice of him. I guess.”

“Do you have plans for the night?”

Stiles jumped at the question. “Um. Not really. You know, a lot of people are busy... still moving back into their dorm and everything.”

“Right.”

Stiles bit his lip. Could werewolves hear heartbeats through phones? Could Derek tell he was lying? How close was the full moon, anyway? Scott always said the closer the full moon was, the more heightened his senses were. He swallowed.

“Isaac was telling me about a good movie to watch. The Hunger Games?”

Stiles grinned. “Oh yeah? He's right, it is a good movie. Want to watch it?”

Stiles heard the familiar sound of Derek's computer starting up. “One of these days, we should watch a movie neither of us have seen.”

“That's pretty rare, but if you find one that sounds interesting, I'm all for it.”

“Okay.”

As Stiles started up his computer, it hit him: did Derek just ask him out on an official date?

Did he just say yes?


	7. Chapter 7

It was a week before spring vacation, which also meant mid-terms and stress, study groups and lots of ramen, and it was ten o'clock on a Friday night before he finally called Scott.

“Hey,” he said, trying not to let the panic seep into his voice but besides the fact that Scott has known him for years now, he was also a werewolf. Stiles should really give up on trying to hide these kinds of things. “What's up with Derek?”

“What?” Scott said. “What do you mean?”

“What's up with Derek?” he repeated, slower and more forcefully. “He's not answering his phone.”

“What's wrong?”

“He's not answering his phone,” Stiles repeated because, god damn it, that's what's wrong, why is Scott being an idiot?

“No, I mean what's wrong that you need to speak with Derek?”

“That... that's not... He's just not answering his phone, I've been... Look, when was the last time you saw him?”

“I don't know, Saturday?” Scott said slowly. Stiles could picture the way his eyebrows were furrowing in confusion. “Why?”

“Don't you guys train throughout the week?”

“Well, yeah, usually at least three or four times, but, I don't know. He hasn't called or anything.”

“And you didn't think that was maybe weird or alarming?”

“No.”

Stiles smacked his forehead with his free hand.

“Hey, I heard that!”

“Scott...” Stiles bit off a rant. If Derek was in trouble, ranting about it would do him no good. “Go to his house, see if he's there.”

“Stiles, no, it's late. I had classes all day, then I worked all night, I'm ready to just turn in –”

“I don't care!” Stiles yelled. “Go check on him!” Then he sighed, pushing down the panic again. “Please.”

“Stiles, I'm sure he's fine.”

“Oh, he's there?” Stiles asked mockingly. “Put him on the phone for me.”

“He's not here,” Scott said. “He's Derek, though. He's fine.”

“Scott, he's Derek! Or have you forgotten that he has a knack for getting himself into life and death situations? Just go. Please.”

“Stiles...”

“Scott, I'm not there! I can't... I worry about you guys! All of you. And I'm stuck here, not knowing anything, not able to do anything. Please, just check on him. Please. Just do me this one favor. Please.”

“Okay! Stop begging, I'm going. Mom's got the car and I can't run and hold a conversation at the same time so I'll call you when I get there, okay?”

“All right. Thank you.”

After fifteen minutes of pacing and mounting panic, he called Derek again. About fifteen minutes after that, he called Scott and Derek, now neither of them picking up. He felt like his entire nervous system was vibrating.

An hour later, Scott finally picked up. “I haven't found him yet,” Scott said, not even bothering to say hello.

“And you couldn't keep me informed?!”

“I am keeping you informed,” he said defensively.

“An hour later! It doesn't take you an hour to get to his place!”

“I went to his apartment first. When he wasn't there, I went to his house.”

“Where are you now?”

“Deaton's. He hasn't seen him.”

Stiles took a calculated breath.

“Don't worry, Stiles. I'll find him.”

“Get the rest of the pack involved. Keep looking. I'm going to call him again.”

_Damn it, Derek, where are you?_ Every time he felt the panic rising, he shoved it down. If Derek was still alive, Stiles was going to kill him.

***

He hated the waiting game, especially being so far away. He knew there wasn't a damn thing he could do if Derek was in trouble. If he had been in Beacon Hills, they probably would have been searching for Derek a lot sooner. Stiles was going to rip everyone in the pack a new one for this.

At two in the morning, Derek finally picked up his phone.

“Stiles.” He sounded tired.

Stiles let out a breath, letting his whole body sag before he felt mounting anger start to take the place of panic. “Have you been sleeping!? Where the hell are you, Derek?”

“Shh, calm down.”

“Calm down? Calm down?! How am I supposed to calm down? You're not at home, at either of your homes, you're not answering your phone, no one has seen you or talked to you since Saturday, and you want me to calm down?!” He heard his voice approaching a pitch he hadn't known was possible but he couldn't suppress it.

“Yes, I would like for you to calm down.”

Stiles bit his lip to prevent the tirade that was threatening to burst from his lips. Despite the fact that Derek had actually answered his phone, that still didn't explain why he wasn't at his homes or why he was tired. Unless... He felt the blood drain from his face. “Were you... are you... Did I interrupt something?”

“Like what?”

“Like what, what do you mean, like what? Like a date? Like casual but possibly romantic hanging out with someone of the opposite sex? Like, I don't know... sex?”

Stiles heard Derek sigh heavily. “No. I went to visit my parents' tomb.”

“Oh.” He felt his heart drop into his stomach. He should have known that. He'd read Derek's file shortly after Scott had been bitten and was familiar with the date of the Hale fire, which had been in the spring and sadly close to Easter, which was now only days away.

“It's not in Beacon Hills. It's in another town, about an hour away. Another pack's territory. I didn't tell them I was coming.”

“Oh,” he repeated. “Are you... are you okay?”

“I will be,” Derek said, his voice tight. It sounded like he was doing a sit up.

“But you're not right now,” Stiles said, not letting it come out as a question. “Where are you? I'll have Scott come pick you up.”

“It's fine, Stiles. They roughed me up a bit but I'm already on my way home.”

“Are you healing?”

“Yes. I'll be completely healed by the time I get back to Beacon Hills. Don't wake Scott up for this.”

“Wake him up,” Stiles laughed. “You're such an asshole, you know that? He's been out searching for you for the last four hours. Actually, I'll call you right back.”

He hung up on Derek, not even waiting for Derek to say anything, and called Scott.

“Hey, don't worry about him, he's on his way home,” Stiles said. Screw greetings, caller ID showed who was calling at any given time anyway, and that was only used if the person didn't have a specific ringtone set up for different people.

“You got in touch with him?”

“Yeah, after, like, the fiftieth try.”

“Were you calling him every five minutes?” Scott asked incredulously. 

“No,” he said defensively. “Every fifteen.”

“Jeez. How did you even know he was missing before we did?”

“I keep tabs on you guys,” he said lightly.

“Uh huh. Stiles, you were freaking out.”

“Well, our days are usually Friday.”

“Your days?”

“Yeah. Our days. Shut up.”

“Is there something I should know about?”

“Scott, go home, go to bed. And thank you, for trying. I appreciate it. I'll talk to you later.”

He found he was getting a knack for hanging up on people, but he made a mental note to never do it to Lydia. She would probably slit his throat.

He took a moment to sit down and shove his feet under the covers before calling Derek back. His room was uncomfortably cold but he hadn't even noticed for the last few hours.

The phone didn't even get through an entire ring before Derek picked up. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Stiles said with a laugh. “Trust you to answer like a normal person after you've been injured and scared the hell out of your friends.”

“Scott was scared?”

“Well. No, not at first.”

“Isaac was scared?”

“I didn't talk to Isaac.”

“I see.”

Stiles reached over and shut off the light beside his bed, throwing the whole room into darkness. “I should probably let you go, let you drive without distractions.”

“No.”

Stiles made a face at the phone. Derek had said it so quickly and so flatly that Stiles didn't know whether to be happy or annoyed. “No?”

“Healing... it's taking a lot out of me... I feel ready to pass out. But if you stay on the phone and keep talking, I'll have something to focus on.”

Stiles smirked. “I'm never going to let you forget this.” He placed a hand over his chest and realized his heart was finally back to a steady beat. “What do you want to talk about?”

“It doesn't matter, Stiles. Just talk.”

So he did. He talked about mid-terms and his study group that he'd formed for his Chemistry class. He talked about how he had wanted to watch a stupid silly movie tonight because he'd had a stressful week, but Derek had to go and make it more stressful. At this, Derek just huffed what Stiles could only assume was a laugh. He talked about how his pack needed a lesson in what a pack really meant, namely Scott considering he was Derek's second-in-command. He hadn't even known Derek was missing for six days and then it had to be Stiles to tell him.

“Good thing I have you watching out for me,” Derek said. It was the first thing he'd said in over twenty minutes but he still sounded as worn out and exhausted as he had when Stiles had first got in touch with him.

“Damn straight,” Stiles said. Even though Derek sounded so out of it, it was nice hearing him speak. He'd been slightly worried that Derek had fallen asleep at the wheel anyway, despite Stiles' chattering.

“Maybe I should bite you and make you my second-in-command.”

“Nah, I don't need to be a werewolf to get them to obey me. Just demote Scott and I'll be second-in-command.”

“I can do that.”

Stiles stopped drumming his fingers on the bed, unaware until then that he had even been doing it. “What?”

“Keep talking. I'm almost home.”

Stiles let it slide, letting Derek off the hook due to his injuries and exhaustion, but he made a mental note to bring it back up later.

He went on to talk about the two or three times he'd been asked out on dates since Christmas alone, whining about how none of them had seemed right so he'd turned them all down. He talked about the fact that he might have a roommate next semester, which he was kind of dreading. Having a roommate is nice, because then he'd have someone to go to the dining halls with pretty much every meal and someone to watch shows with, but sometimes people got stuck with lame people who had absolutely nothing in common. He knew he'd been spoiled with having a room to himself but he wanted to keep it that way.

He heard a car door slam. “Are you home?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you healed?”

“Mostly.”

“Should I send Scott or Isaac over?”

“No, I'm fine, Stiles. I'm going to go to bed. Sleep will help in finishing up the process.”

“Derek? Call me tomorrow. You owe me a movie.”

Derek laughed but cut it off quickly. Stiles winced, knowing it was probably due to his injuries and just laughing probably hurt. “Sure thing."

"And Derek, don't do that again, okay?"

"Sure thing," he repeated. "Goodnight, Stiles.”

“Goodnight, Derek.”


	8. Chapter 8

Stiles honestly tried to get through his essays for the weekend. Two were due on Monday and two were due on Tuesday. He seriously didn’t understand why every single professor thought it would be a good idea to have essays due the week of mid-terms but there you had it.

He really tried but every time he got onto the computer, he put his fingers on the home row keys and then stared. If he had just one less thing to worry about, he was pretty sure he’d be having a panic attack. But it was almost like the overwhelming amounts of stress had somehow numbed him and all he could do was stare blankly.

He hadn’t had a very restful night, having gone to sleep somewhere around four or five in the morning. Then he woke up around ten after a nightmare had him flailing his way to the floor with a disturbingly loud thump.

At one in the afternoon, a couple of people from his chemistry study group stopped by and dragged him to the dining hall but he had no appetite and kept checking his phone. A few of them waggled their eyebrows at him and asked if he was waiting for a call from a girl but he just shook his head. He didn’t have the energy to pretend like he was awake and exuberant, like he usually was, and a few of them started to show genuine concern. He just shrugged it off that it was midterms and essays and stress, not to mention the complete lack of sun when he was used to tons, but he would be better the following weekend. And if not then, definitely after spring break.

At five, he gave up on trying with the essays, opting instead to get some of his laundry done before the hectic week from hell really began.

As he was loading the only free washer in the basement, his phone rang. He still hadn’t switched Derek’s ringtone but for the first time in a few months, he thought it fit.

“Hey, hold on a second,” he said when he picked up, not even waiting for Derek to say anything before putting the phone on the washer next to him so he could put the coins in. Once he put the lid down, it started automatically and he picked the phone back up, putting his basket on his washer to ward away any curious laundry-doers. “All right, you there?”

“I’m here.” He sounded like perfectly normal Derek, mildly bored, calm, patient.

“Cool.” Stiles started making his way back up the stairs to his room. “So, how, um. How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“All healed? All good?”

“That’s what fine means.”

“Well, when I say I’m fine, I usually don’t mean that I’m fine, actually. Fine is one of those words you use when you don’t want people to know that you’re not fine. It’s a weird thing people do.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Stiles bit his lip, hoping Derek couldn’t hear his heart. It was beginning to race, like the beginning of a panic attack. Great. He couldn’t have had the panic attack earlier, when he was alone, he had to have it now while he was on the phone with Derek. Just great.

Holding the phone between his head and his shoulder, he patted his pockets outside his dorm room door.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Stiles bit out. It was like the icing on the cake that he’d forgotten his key inside. They didn’t have a huge problem with stealing and thievery in the dorms but he’d made it a habit to always lock his door, even if he was just going to the bathroom. Somehow, this actually warded off the panic attack, at least for a few minutes.

“What’s wrong?”

Stiles huffed. “I forgot my damn key.” He sighed, resigned, and trekked back to the front desk in the lobby. He put the phone down without saying anything to Derek and waved at the RA on duty. 

It wasn’t really a big deal when you forgot your key, they just asked to hold something while you went and unlocked your door, so he handed over his license while he went back to his room, finding his key right there on his desk. 

“This is not my day,” he muttered into the phone as he walked back to the main desk to hand over the spare.

Derek didn’t say anything but Stiles knew he was still there, listening.

Finally, he was inside his room and he let out a breath. “So, seriously, you’re okay? Didn’t get poisoned with anything? No one followed you or anything?”

“Stiles, I’m okay. Fully healed.”

“Good, ‘cause I got a bone to pick with you.” Stiles sat at his desk, almost as if sitting on his bed, which was where he usually sat when he was on the phone with Derek and watching movies, would be a sign of forgiveness. Which was silly, considering Derek didn’t know where he was sitting or what he was doing.

Derek didn’t say anything but the seconds were still ticking by on his screen.

“You can’t do that. I know I already lectured you a little last night, but I was easy on you due to your… injured state of being. But seriously Derek, no one knew where you were. No one even knew you were missing for six days. Six days, Derek.”

“I didn’t leave until Tuesday and there wasn’t even an issue until Thursday. Besides, I handled it.”

“That’s not even the point, Derek!” Stiles sighed, forcing himself to lower his tone and speak softer. “You’re the alpha, Derek. It’s not about you anymore. You spent years just worrying about you and Laura and after she died, it was just you and I know you don’t want to hear this but I feel like we’re at the level of friendship where I can say this to you, and if we’re not, then too bad because as much as I love your betas and as smart and wonderful as they are, none of them have the balls to tell you this and it’s definitely something you need to hear.”

Derek was growling gently but he hadn’t hung up yet. Maybe in person, Stiles would be slightly afraid for his person but he had the luxury of a phone and thousands of miles, so he went on.

“It’s not about you anymore. Or maybe it’s all about you. You matter. You are the most important thing to this pack. If something happens to you, they’re screwed. You need to take responsibility. Stop acting like you’re immortal. Just because it’s really difficult to kill werewolves and just because you heal fast doesn’t mean you can’t die.” Stiles realized he was shaking. “You matter. Stop being reckless, okay?”

Derek had stopped growling but he didn’t say anything.

“You scared the hell out of me, okay? And I don’t… I mean, an apology would be nice but that’s not what I’m looking for. I just want you to… not do it again. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Stiles was surprised. He expected Derek to lash out, yell at him for overstepping, for putting his nose where it didn’t belong.

“Okay,” Derek repeated.

“Okay. Well. Thank you.”

“No,” Derek said immediately and then he growled. “What movie do you want to watch? And have you eaten?”

***

They’d decided on a Monty Python movie, because Derek had never seen any of them and Stiles thought that was blasphemous. Also, Stiles could use a few chuckles.

After the movie, and after he’d tossed the leftover pizza into his fridge, he got comfortable in his bed, snapping off the light.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Stiles asked.

“The movie? It was good. Kind of corny. Really bad graphics.”

“Dude, this is before CGI, what do you expect? No, that’s not what I meant. I meant the trip to your family’s tomb. The other werewolves.”

“Not particularly.”

“Do you always visit on the anniversary?”

Derek sighed. “When Laura was alive, we did. I haven’t been since she died. She was always the one to arrange the visit and get permission, which is why I forgot.”

Stiles nodded. “Did you bring flowers?”

“No. Laura was always the one to get the flowers.”

“If… if you want company next year…”

“You’ll fly back from college and go with me?”

“Maybe. Or, you know. You could call and tell me you’re going and I can remind you to get the flowers and call for permission and stuff.”

“Pretty sure I’m not going to forget the permission part again.”

“I don’t know, Derek. You’ve got a pretty thick skull.”

“It’s a thick skull to protect the really intelligent brain inside.”

Stiles grinned. “You think maybe you’ll go back to school?”

“Maybe.”

“What made you decide on psychology, anyway?”

“Peter.” Stiles flinched involuntarily at the name but said nothing. Derek continued. “After the fire, he was burned and physically not healing, even though he should have been able to. And then he wouldn’t talk. I wanted to get a degree, maybe work in a mental hospital or something. See what could cause that kind of thing. Now, though… now I’m not sure.”

“Because he was a big faker.”

“He had his reasons.”

“Are you defending him?”

“Only to the extent that he’s my beta and I’m protective of all of them, regardless of their past actions.”

Stiles huffed. He couldn’t argue with that. “That’s big of you.”

“Trying to think and act like an alpha. Someone mentioned I’ve been lacking lately.”

“That’s not exactly what I said!”

“Might as well have. You were right, though.”

Stiles didn’t know what to say to that.

“But yeah, maybe I will go back,” Derek said. “Maybe I’ll go back to UPenn. Or Cornell.”

“You think you could get in?”

“I had really good grades when I was in school. And they’ll be lenient if I tell them my sister died and my uncle came out of his comatose state. Besides, I seem to have a thing for broken betas. Sometimes Isaac still has nightmares. If I keep biting betas with issues like this, I should at least know how to talk to them to help them.”

Stiles felt a grin spread slowly across his face and he fought again cooing into the phone.

“Stop.”

“What?!”

“Stop right now. I’m just being a good alpha. I can hear you.”

“What, I’m not even, what exactly are you hearing?!” Much as he tried, Stiles couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.

“Do you have homework to do? Mid-terms to study for?”

“No, not on a Saturday night. Besides, I’m talking with you. This is more fun than homework.”

Derek was silent. 

Stiles had a moment of fear that he’d said something wrong but then he remembered how Derek had suffered though Stiles chastising him and scolding him. He decided to change the subject. “I think I freaked out the people in my chemistry study group today.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. I was quiet.”

“Yeah, I can see that scaring anyone who knows you well.”

Stiles grinned.

They spent the next couple of hours on the phone, sometimes serious, sometimes playful and teasing, until Stiles started to fall asleep.

“Don’t fall asleep,” Derek said.

“Why not?” Stiles said, knowing his words were slurring and not caring.

“Because.”

“’S not a good reason.”

“Because I’m your alpha and I said don’t fall asleep.”

“That’s an abuse of the alpha position.”

“Fine, go to sleep. I’ll talk to you later.”

“No,” Stiles whined. “Stay on phone.”

Derek chuckled. “Even though you’re falling asleep.”

“Yeah. You usually fall asleep, too. We’ll fall asleep together.”

“So you want to sleep together, is that what you’re saying?”

“No,” Stiles whined. “Yes. No, I don’t know, why are you taking advantage of my sleep addled brain to get me to say stuff?”

“Seems to be the only time you really say stuff.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means if you weren’t fine and I asked you how you were doing, you wouldn’t say fine.”

“But I am fine.”

“Theoretical, Stiles.”

“I can’t deal with theoreticals right now, Derek!”

Derek laughed.

“I’m glad I learned how to do that. It’s nice when you laugh. You have a nice laugh.”

“Go to sleep, Stiles.”

“No,” Stiles whined again.

“Shut up, Stiles. I’ll stay on the phone until you fall asleep, okay?”

Almost instantly, Stiles was asleep.

It was two thirty in the morning when he woke up to the screen lighting up in his face. The seconds were still ticking by and Stiles grinned. “Derek?” he whispered. “You still there?” Silence. “Are you asleep?” More silence. “I kind of wish you’d visit sometime. It’d be nice to show you around campus. Watch a movie together, without the pack. Just us two. I don’t know, maybe it would be awkward. But then, we’re already sleeping together.” He thought he heard a noise. “Derek? If you’re awake, I’m going to kill you.” There was only silence but he’d felt a shot of adrenalin go through his veins and he decided not to tempt fates. “All right, Derek. Goodnight. Sleep tight.”

He hung up.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long! There were so many different ways this chapter could have gone and I kept playing them in my head wondering which one was best but then I realized the longer I waited, the less chance it had of getting written, so I just hashed it out and VOILA. I hope you like it. I'm not sure I do. But it was fun. I'm thinking maybe one or two more chapters, yeah?

As much as Stiles was ready for a break from the essays and the tests, he was actually dreading spring vacation. He didn't have enough money to catch a flight home, which was definitely not the story he'd fed his father, and he certainly wasn't going to let anyone pay for a flight home. Derek could get him food every week for the rest of his life but he was damned if he was going to let him pay for a plane ticket.

Stiles seriously wondered where the money all came from, anyway.

Most of his friends were going back home for the week, so not only was he going to be stuck at school but he was going to be stuck at school _alone_.

So he did what any good freshman does right after midterms and before a week of solitude – he got drunk.

Shitfaced was probably a more accurate term. Really, telling someone you got drunk implies that you were pretty much past being buzzed but still in the feeling good zone, the not-puking zone, the probably-going-to-remember-this-tomorrow zone. But that wasn't where Stiles was. Stiles was at the gonna-puke, can't-walk-straight, really-fucking-hope-I- _don't_ -remember-this-tomorrow stage of drunkenness.

Of course, when any nineteen year old with a crush gets drunk, what's the first thing they do?

They talk about their crush. And possibly even call their crush. Which Stiles did about twenty times before someone confiscated his phone. Not that Derek was picking up anyway.

Not many people had known who Derek was prior to the Night Of Epic Regret, which was what Stiles later called it. But Stiles, being loose of tongue while sober, was even more loose of tongue while drunk. He was pretty sure not a single friend _didn't_ know about Derek by the end of the night.

“Lydia!” he said loudly into the phone. “Where's Derek?”

“Stop yelling, Stiles!” she yelled at him.

“Kettle black!” he yelled back at her.

“What?”

“I don't know!” A guy with a Buffalo Bills hat handed him a beer, popped the top off, and walked away. Stiles smiled at him. “Where's Derek?”

“How should I know? Are you at a party?”

“No, it's generally this loud in my single occupant dorm room!”

“How the hell did he get his phone back?” Miranda asked from across the room.

“Oh god, is he talking about Derek again?” James said, a member of his Chemistry study group.

“What if it IS Derek on the phone?” Miranda said, nudging her elbow into James's ribs.

“Hi Derek!” they both yelled at the same time.

“Shut up!” Stiles yelled at them. He spilled a little beer as he threw a couch pillow at them.

“Stiles!” He jumped when he heard Lydia's voice through the phone. He'd forgotten for a moment that he was on the phone with her. “You should go home. You're drunk and it's not even eight.”

“We started early! That's why I need to talk to Derek!”

“Because you're drunk?”

“No! We usually talk on Friday nights and I might not hear my phone and I'm going to call him later but I can't talk to him right now but I want to talk to him!”

“God, Stiles, you sound ridiculous. Go home! Derek wouldn't like you out at a party anyway.”

“Why not?” Stiles perked up. If Derek was showing signs of jealousy about him to other members of the pack, then Stiles definitely wanted to know about it.

“Because it's not safe!”

He rolled his eyes as his shoulders fell. “Bah. I'm a college student now. These are the kinds of things I should be doing.”

“I'm not doing them,” Lydia said. He could almost see her raise her nose at him.

“That's because you did them during high school!” After a moment of silence, he laughed. “See, you can't even argue. Maybe I should just text him.”

“Stiles, go home,” she said again before hanging up. He glared at the phone before slipping it into his pocket. He might be against hanging up on her and facing her wrath but she had no problem with doing it to him. He almost called her back just so he could hang up on her but he was pretty sure if he pulled his phone out of his pocket again, he'd end up calling or texting Derek. He was pretty sure he already left a few messages on his machine and that had been when he was slightly more drunk and couldn't even remember what the messages had been.

After far too many shots and definitely not enough water, he managed to slip out of the house party and make his way across town to his dorm room. He kept worrying that Derek would call him while he was out and he would miss him. Besides, if Lydia was right and Derek actually was already going to be mad at him for going to a party, he should at least soften the blow by answering when he called.

Later, his friends would ream him out for his apparent lack of self-preservation for walking home alone and not even telling anyone but he would remind them that he hadn't driven. He'd intentionally left his car at his dorm parking lot, not to dissuade himself from driving it back after he'd had a few but because he really didn't want to have to go back to the house the next morning to pick it up. A drunken walk back home in the middle of the night was far more preferable to a hungover walk back the next morning. Or, even if he got a ride back to the house, a hungover drive back to his dorm. Actually, any activity when hungover is pretty much frowned on. He'd much prefer staying in bed watching old shows on Netflix and whining until the hangover went away.

The cold didn't do wonders, per se, in sobering him up, but it certainly made him clear-eyed enough that he was able to slip past the RA and the front desk staff without getting raised eyebrows. Or maybe they did raise some eyebrows but liked him enough to not question him. He'd have to thank them later. Subtly. Maybe with cookies.

Amazingly, after a calm and peaceful walk home, after slipping past everyone in the lobby, it was his keys that finally got him. It was like the keyhole kept switching positions on him.

“Hold still,” he said. After saying it, he wasn't sure if he was talking to the doorknob or his own hands.

A hand that wasn't his reached in front of him and guided the key into the lock and turned.

Stiles broke out in a grin. That was nice of them. He turned to thank them.

It was Derek, standing next to him, his hand holding open the door, eyebrows raised at Stiles, not angrily but more... disappointed and unamused. His other hand was holding a pizza box.

“What?” Stiles said. He was pretty sure if he was sober, he wouldn't have managed even that much use of his vocal chords, but having alcohol coursing through his system allowed words to escape his lips before he'd even completely thought them.

“Get in,” Derek growled and he used his free hand to shove him into the room. After Stiles stumbled into the room and caught his balance, he turned and stared. Derek set down the pizza box on his desk and shut the door behind them.

“What?” Stiles said again.

“You're drunk,” Derek said as he slipped off his coat and hung it up on a hook behind Stiles's door. “It's not even nine thirty and you're drunk.”

“I've been drunk since five, dude.”

The disappointed look on Derek's face deepened. “Don't call me dude.” He leaned down and started unlacing his shoes.

“Everyone's dude. I'm a dude, you're a dude... we're all dudes. Dude is totally ambiguous and gender-neutral.”

“I'm amazed you can even say words like ambiguous and gender-neutral right now, considering you couldn't even get your key in the lock.”

“Me too.”

Derek smiled, the whites of his teeth blinding for a moment before he closed his mouth and turned around.

“Did you just smile?” Stiles reached out and grabbed Derek's arm. It was like trying to move a car.

“No, I don't do that.”

“Yes you do, I've heard you.”

Derek turned to look at Stiles with raised eyebrows. “You're heard me smile?”

Stiles nodded. He noticed a twitch at the corners of Derek's mouth and he poked his cheek. “See, there, there it is, the almost smile, now we just need a little more...” Then he realized what he was doing and snatched his hand back. Seeing Derek standing at his door had sobered him far more than the walk in the cold had but he was nowhere near clear-headed.

“Why are you drunk? Where did you even go? Were you with people? You didn't drive home, did you?” With each question, Derek got closer to Stiles. Stiles wasn't sure if he was trying to intimidate him or maybe get a whiff to determine how drunk Stiles was.

Either way, it didn't work. Stiles could only think of one thing. “What are you doing here?”

Derek flinched and backed away. He shrugged as he hit the power button on the computer, the fans whizzing away as it started up, and he opened up the pizza box, looking around for plates. He found them on a shelf in the closet. “I was in the area.”

“Derek. I'm like three thousand miles away from home. You were not in the area.”

Derek held up a movie that he'd had stashed in his coat pocket. “Scott said you haven't seen this movie yet but you really wanted to. And it only just came out on video. So I was hoping...”

“You came all to the way to Pennsylvania to watch a movie with me?”

Derek rolled his eyes but it looked more uncomfortable than exasperated.

“Derek?”

“You weren't supposed to be drunk!” Derek said loudly. Stiles glanced at the door, making Derek glance at the door and then sigh in an obvious attempt to get control over his temper. “You were supposed to be sober when I got here. This was supposed to go... differently.”

“I'm confused.” It had nothing to do with the way the room was still spinning slightly. Or mostly nothing to do with.

Derek closed his eyes. “Look, can we just watch the movie and have this conversation tomorrow? When you're sober?”

“This conversation? What conversation?”

“The one I want to have tomorrow,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Don't mar my watching of this movie with your cryptic foreshadowing, Derek!” Stiles said. He stomped, then looked down at his foot as if it had betrayed him.

“I can't... do this while you're drunk, Stiles!” Derek grabbed him by the upper arms and pushed him until he was sitting on his bed. Then he crouched down and untied his shoes. “We are going to eat pizza, damn it. We are going to watch this movie. And then we are going to sleep. I'll sleep on the spare bed.” Even though Stiles had been the only occupant of the room the entire year, they had never gotten around to taking out the spare bed. Stiles didn't mind since he usually just threw his bags and clean clothes on it.

Derek threw Stiles's shoes at the front door as he grabbed a slice of pizza, slapped it onto a plate, and shoved the plate in Stiles's face. Stiles took it gratefully as he watched Derek get his own plate and start up the movie.

Derek flashed red eyes at him, pointed a finger at him, and said, “And we are still going to discuss your apparent disregard for both the laws and your own safety tomorrow, you got that? I haven't forgotten.” Stiles nodded, stuffing his face with the pizza so he couldn't say anything damning.

They sat awkwardly on the bed while they ate the pizza, which was only lukewarm.  Stiles wondered how long Derek had been in his dorm, waiting for him to return.  When they were done eating, Derek put their plates on the fridge to be cleaned later, grabbed a bottle of water for Stiles, and then made a wall of pillows behind him as he resettled himself on the bed.

Stiles drank half the bottle of water in one go, not only because he was thirsty but also because he was starting to sober up, officially. This situation was becoming more and more nerve-wracking the more his vision cleared.

Finally, he set the water down next to him, crossed his legs, and put his hands under his thighs. If he didn't, he'd end up twiddling his thumbs, literally. Derek and he were literally side by side on Stiles's bed. The lack of distance was terrifying and exhilarating.

After a moment, Derek grabbed him by the back of the shirt and they ended up in an awkward cuddling position, Stiles's back against Derek's chest and Derek's arms around Stiles's ribs.

“Is this okay?” Derek said softly in Stiles's ear.

Stiles nodded, not trusting his voice.

Maybe spring break wasn't going to be that bad after all.


	10. Chapter 10

When Stiles woke up the next day, he groaned. After a night of drinking, his entire body did a strange trembling thing, almost like his blood sugar was low. He rolled away from the wall, hoping against hope that he'd left a bottle of water next to his bed before passing out.

As he reached for the bottle, he noticed Derek sitting, watching him, from the spare bed. He promptly rolled onto the floor in his flailing.

Luckily, he'd brought the comforter with him, which he used as a kind of shield for his embarrassment. “Oh god, you weren't a hallucination.”

“Do you usually hallucinate when you drink?” Derek's eyebrows danced in amusement.

“Well, no. Dream then. You weren't a dream.”

“Do you usually dream about me?” Now he was fighting a grin. Derek was all but laughing at him.

Stiles rolled into a ball and covered his head with the blanket. “Leave me alone,” he whined.

“But I have coffee.”

He perked up, poking his head out of the blankets again. “Coffee?”

Derek held up a cup from the dining hall.

Stiles made grabby hands and Derek huffed as he got up and handed it to Stiles. “How'd you get into the dining hall? You need an ID.”

“I used yours.”

“Dude, you don't even look like me. Security around here is totally lacking.”

“Are you complaining?”

“No,” Stiles said in a rush. “No, no complaining here. Much gratitude here. Thank you.” He took a hesitant sip, then a gulp when he realized it was the perfect temperature. Then he hummed. “Many much thanks.”

“Did you walk home last night?”

Stiles winced as he looked up at Derek. “Maybe?”

Derek glared at Stiles but it was much less heated than normal. It was almost a look of disappointment, like he was upset instead of angry.

“But I made it home okay! See? One piece!” Then he smiled.

“You couldn't even unlock your own door last night, Stiles!”

He winced again. That was a dark part in his memory. Actually, it was all pretty shady from the point when he left the party until he was in his bed watching a movie with Derek. “Did we watch Silver Linings last night?”

Derek rolled his eyes, licked his lips, and then crossed his arms as he fixed Stiles with a glare, this time officially angry. 

Stiles grimaced. “Come on, I'm hungover, can we put off the scolding for my stupidity until later? Please?”

Derek didn't move.

He decided to change the subject. It usually worked and besides, he had questions that needed answers. “What are you doing in Pennsylvania, anyway?”

A bit of red worked its way onto the tips of Derek's ears and his eyes slid away from Stiles's. “How's your stomach?” he asked instead of answering the question.

Stiles contemplated repeating his question but dismissed it. He could come back to it later. After a moment of thought, he shrugged. “Pretty decent, actually.”

Derek nodded. “Breakfast?”

“You mean you didn't get breakfast with the coffee?” he asked with a pout.

He shook his head. “Didn't want the smell of actual food to upset your stomach if you were that hungover.”

“Aw, you care! You really care!”

“Pretty sure I already proved that by getting you coffee.”

It was Stiles's turn to blush now. It was an awkward reminder that Derek was here, in his dorm room, having brought pizza last night, watched a movie with him, and then slept in the same room instead of a hotel. Stiles was scared to admit what this could mean, especially since Derek kept dodging the question, but he couldn't help the swell of hope that blossomed in his stomach. Then a shot of fear raced through his veins. “Did I call you last night?”

Derek's lips twitched as he tried not to smile but it was enough for Stiles.

He covered his head with the blankets again. “Oh god. Kill me now. I don't even know what I said. Please, just kill me now.”

“Not until after we get something to eat.” Then Stiles jumped as he felt hands under his arms, picking him up until he was standing on his own feet, the blankets still covering his face. “Now get dressed.” Derek pushed away enough of the blanket to make eye contact with Stiles. A small smile had made its way onto Derek's face and Stiles held his breath, wondering if this was it. Was he going to -

But then he turned away. “I'll wait outside. Don't forget to brush your teeth, you smell like beer still.”

Stiles felt his whole body flush at that and he couldn't even form a comeback before Derek was out of the room.

***

After breakfast, Derek insisted Stiles show him around campus. “Dude, it's really boring.”

“This is where you spend 90% of your time, Stiles. I want to look around. I'm your Alpha.” Derek gently shoved him until they were walking away from the dining hall and also away from the dorms.

“You're never going to stop using that as an excuse, are you? 'I'm Alpha!'” Stiles said and then he struck his chest like a caveman. “'You do as I say! I make sure protect Pack!'”

“You're saying this like it's a bad thing,” Derek said. “Besides, being an Alpha doesn't turn me into Encino Man.”

“Oh my god, did you just make a reference to a movie from the 90s?”

“You know I was born in the 80s, right?”

Stiles shook his head in disbelief. “I didn't think you even knew what movies were before you met me.”

Derek snorted. “I used to watch movies all the time, just like any other good teenager. I just wasn't really interested in them as I got older.”

“Until me,” Stiles said with a grin.

Derek nodded slowly. “Until you,” he agreed softly.

Stiles felt his heart stutter and he internally berated himself for acting like a silly teenage girl. “So, seriously, when are you going to tell me what you're doing in Pennsylvania?”

“Well, what do you think I'm doing in Pennsylvania?”

“This is your psych training coming into play, isn't it? Answer a question with a question?”

Derek grinned. All out grinned. Shining white teeth, tongue peeking through the tiny gaps, a hint of dimples through the scruff. Stiles had to look away. “I came to watch a movie with you,” Derek said finally.

“That's it?” Stiles asked. He wasn't even sure what he meant by the question, to be honest. When he first thought it, it was meant to be mocking but once it left his lips, it sounded wistful. He almost wished he could call back the question but a bigger part of him wondered what the answer would be.

Derek glanced at him and if Stiles didn't know him better, he'd say it was a shy look. “Well. Maybe more.”

Stiles twitched his hand, the one that was swinging by his side closest to Derek, and nudged Derek's hand. He felt his face turning bright red but he was pretty sure he was reading the signals right.

Derek's fingers instantly threaded themselves through Stiles's fingers. They were officially holding hands. “Okay,” Derek said with a chuckle. “Definitely more.”

After a few minutes of trying to talk his heart into shutting up, he cleared his throat. “Can we watch Silver Linings again tonight? I don't really remember it.”

Derek's lips twitched. “Sure. No problem.” Derek waited a beat before squeezing his hand slightly. “This doesn't bother you, does it?”

“What? Holding hands? No, I mean... unless it bothers you... do you...”

“Stiles, I initiated it. But I don't have to go to school here. You do.”

“Oh,” Stiles said, swallowing. “All my friends know about you anyway.” Then he snapped his mouth shut.

“Oh?” Derek asked.

Stiles felt himself splutter but he couldn't stop. “Shut up.”

Derek chuckled. “I really liked my phone messages, by the way. Would you like to hear them?”

“Oh my god, no!” Stiles slapped himself in the forehead with his free hand. “Please no. What did I say? No, don't tell me. Please tell me I didn't make a fool of myself. No, don't tell me.”

Derek threw his head back and laughed. Then he stopped, yanking on Stiles hand, spinning him so they were face to face. “C'mere,” he said softly, placing both his hands gently on Stiles's jaw, angling him for a kiss. Stiles gripped Derek's shirt as their lips met. It was chaste and slightly itchy with Derek's stubble scraping against Stiles's lips, though he didn't mind. Stiles willed his knees to stop shaking, to no avail. Then Derek pulled away slightly, hands still holding Stiles's jaw. “You made a complete and utter fool of yourself.” Stiles closed his eyes in horror. “And it was adorable.” Stiles cracked an eye open as Derek kissed him one more time, just as chaste as the first, before threading their hands together once again and tugging him so they were walking again.

“Oh no, is this going to be a thing? You get a thrill out of embarrassing me?”

“Stiles, I don't need to embarrass you. You do a good enough job at that all by yourself.”

“Damn it.”

***

After dinner, which was at a real restaurant 

(“It feels really good to treat you to real food,” Derek had said as they cut into their steaks. 

“What are you talking about?” Stiles had exclaimed. “All food is real food when you're a starving college student!” 

“You're not starving.”

“No. Thanks to you.” And then he'd winked at Derek, instantly feeling silly for doing so, but the smile Derek gave him was worth it.)

they went back to the dorm. Most of the students had left already for spring break and the campus was quiet and empty. The temperature was just a hint of too cold but Stiles made a mental note to take Derek on a midnight walk when the weather was a little nicer. Late night walks were the best, in Stiles's opinion.

Tonight, though, he wanted Derek all to himself in the privacy of a dorm room.

Stiles shut the door and locked it, leaning against it as he stared at Derek, who was in the middle of the room and looking back at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Hey Cutie,” Stiles said.

Derek rolled his eyes.

“What, you don't like pet names?”

“If anyone's the pet here, it's you.”

Stiles felt his jaw drop. “I'm not the animal here!”

Derek started to walk slowly towards Stiles and Stiles held his breath. He could have sworn he saw a flash of red for an instant. “Are you calling me an animal?”

“N... no,” he stuttered.

“Because I can be, you know. A real animal,” Derek said softly, placing his hands on either side of Stiles's head. Stiles swallowed. Then Derek was kissing him, chaste again, all lips and no tongue and an increasingly familiar tickle of hair. Then Derek pulled at him by his shirt. “Come on, we have a movie to watch.”

“Right,” Stiles said. He felt like he was spinning but in a completely different way than the previous night. “A movie.”

Stiles kicked off his shoes, hopping onto the bed to enjoy the view as Derek bent over the computer getting the movie loaded and ready.

“Hey!” Stiles said suddenly. “Did you tell the others where you were going?”

Derek turned and grinned at him. “After the plane landed, I did.”

Stiles thought for a moment that maybe he should be angry at Derek. Then again, he didn't need to get the okay from the pack, he just needed to let them know where he was going. They could take care of themselves. “Good boy,” Stiles said with a nod.

Derek cocked his head to the side. “Did you just...?”

“I meant it in a friend way, not a dog way! God, you're so sensitive!”

Movie forgotten, Derek crawled across the bed. “Sensitive?”

“Oh god, what are you doing? What are you planning? Derek, I meant it in a good way!” Then Derek grabbed him by the belt loops of his jeans and yanked until he was in a supine position, instantly giggling and flailing as Derek's fingers danced over his sides and his ribs under his shirt. “Stop, stop, mercy, uncle, I'm sorry, never will I call you a good boy again, oh my god I'm going to piss my pants!”

Suddenly, Derek stopped, hands spread across his sides peacefully still, and Stiles was instantly aware of the intimate feel of skin to skin. Derek was grinning down at him as Stiles caught his breath and then they were kissing again, stupidly chaste once more. Stiles darted his tongue out, silently asking for more, but then Derek pulled back, leaned over the bed to hit play on the computer, and then crawled back up to the head of the bed.

Stiles pouted briefly, until Derek kissed him, sucking on his lower lip just for a moment, too quick for Stiles to turn it into something more. Then Derek manhandled him easily into the V of his legs, arms crossed over his stomach, hands on his sides but not tickling. Stiles leaned his head onto Derek's shoulder and Derek kissed his neck. Stiles tried to turn but Derek nudged him with his head, a clear indication to keep his eyes on the screen.

Stiles sighed but couldn't stop smiling. If Derek wanted to take things slow, then that was fine with him. He was on vacation, after all. They had plenty of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay! I have no good excuses! I promise the next update will be quicker! Also, I have no idea where the ending is going to be or when! No clue! Whoops!
> 
> Also, y'all are lovely and awesome I heart you all!


	11. Chapter 11

Apparently having plenty of time didn't necessarily mean that Derek was going to make a move. In fact, Derek was stupidly chaste, a perfect gentleman the entire time.

Derek cooked him dinner on Monday night. Stiles didn't even know Derek could cook but the way he rolled up his sleeves to just below his arm, the intense way he was staring at the broccoli on the cutting board, even his fingers gripping the knife had Stiles's mouth watering. 

"Can... can I help?" Stiles had asked, hoping for something, anything to take his attention away from rippling muscles.

"Sure. Go back to your room, clean up your dirty laundry, set two place settings, and pour a couple of glasses of wine. Or juice if you can't handle the wine."

"I meant with the food, I feel bad making you do all the work."

"Stiles, you've been tapping your fingers on everything all afternoon. You have too much energy for me to feel safe with you near anything in a kitchen."

"I resent that, I used to cook for my dad all the time."

"I know." Derek looked at him from under his eyebrows. "He informed me of the ungodly amount of money he's put into dishes over the years."

Stiles blushed. "Oh come on, that can't be what you guys end up talking about!"

"So it's not true?"

Which, of course, it was true, so Stiles turned on his heel and left the dorm kitchen, which was rarely used though the pool table that was in the same room was used quite a lot. No one was there now so Derek's laughter echoed easily off the walls.

The dinner had been delicious, the wine equally delicious though Derek prevented him from having more than one glass, ("I'm not a lightweight, Derek." "No, but you are underage. I could get in trouble for letting you have even this much so shut up." Which he had but only due to the lips that had suddenly met his) and they had spooned while watching yet another movie, which Stiles missed half of because he fell asleep.

Tuesday and Wednesday, Stiles took him around the town, to music stores and book stores and the local park that Stiles had always looked at wistfully but never deigned to walk through because he kept seeing couples going in and out of it and he knew he'd just end up lonely.

That Thursday night, he even took him out to a midnight showing of the most recent superhero movie, both of them waiting in line with the other nerds ("They're my people," Stiles said proudly and Derek had just raised an eyebrow at him, but the fact that their fingers were entwined belied Derek's true feelings) and even though it had started to sprinkle neither of them complained. They got back to the dorm room in the early morning hours, Stiles high on movie endorphins 

("That's not even a thing, Stiles," Derek had said. 

Stiles had scoffed. "Of course it is, you've just never seen a movie in the theatres that you really connected with. Imagine if you'd seen Serenity in movie theatres." 

Derek had contemplated this but then shrugged. "Probably would have had the same reaction." 

"You don't know, grumpy. You just like to grump about everything. Grump grump grump. When you have grandkids, they're going to call you Grandpa Grumps." 

"I sure hope so," Derek had said softly. 

Stiles had looked at him sideways. 

"Then that would mean I lived long enough to have kids," Derek had clarified. 

Stiles gripped his hand even tighter but said nothing more) 

and Derek... well Derek was handsy and cuddly but when they got through the door, he was right back to being chaste. Although, he did peel off Stiles's shirt for him before getting into bed, but then they just spooned until sleep overtook them, which was surprisingly fast.

Finally on Saturday night, the last night Derek was going to be in town, Stiles barred the door before they headed out for dinner. "I need you to make a deal with me tonight."

"Oh?" Derek had said with excessive eyebrow use.

"Yeah. We are going to go get dinner. But then we're coming back here. You have been here for far too long with far too few kisses and I am beginning to feel... neglected."

"Neglected? I've spent every moment with you," Derek said, though he didn't sound upset, just inquisitive.

Stiles cringed anyway. "I know, and I've loved every moment. I just... I want kisses. Lots of kisses. And more. More than kisses would nice. I mean, especially if those kisses wandered into other territory besides lip territory. I mean, non-lip kisses would be phenomenal. But also touching. Maybe, you know, under the clothes touching."

Derek walked over to him, crowding him against the door, much like he had that first day they'd kissed. "I would love to kiss you on not lips, Stiles. I am dying to touch you under the clothes. But..." and now Derek's body was flush against his, Derek's lips against Stiles's ears, his breath tickling him until he felt the hint of a shiver begin to form. "If I start, I'm afraid I won't know when to stop."

"Who... who says you should stop?"

"It'll be your first time, Stiles. I want it to be right. And I don't want you to feel rushed."

"It's okay, it's fine, I don't..." Stiles swallowed. "How do you know it'll be my first time?"

"You told me."

Stiles plastered himself to the door, frozen in horror. "No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"I told sleeping you."

"Obviously you told awake me."

"How many... how many times were you awake when I was talking after the movie?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well, it would help for me to know how much you heard, how much you know..."

"Stiles. I'm a werewolf. An Alpha. You're my beta. The minute you started talking, I'd wake up, if I was even asleep to begin with."

"Shit. Shit shit." Stiles closed his eyes as he felt his cheeks begin to burn.

Derek licked his neck and, despite his humiliation, Stiles felt himself react, tipping his head up to give Derek better access. "If I hadn't heard you, I never would have known how you felt. I never would have come here."

"You could have asked! You could have said something!"

"Like you did?" Derek asked as he pulled back to look Stiles in the eye. "I mean, when you knew I was awake."

"I still said something!"

"And I acted on it. Why are you upset?"

"I don't know! I feel used!"

Derek chuckled. "You haven't been used, Stiles." Then Derek pulled at Stiles's shirt at the collar and started kissing and licking as far as he could reach.

"I just... you just..."

"I'm kissing you in non-lip places. Are you really going to continue complaining about how we got here?"

"Only if you stop. Please don't stop. Please don't ever stop. Always kiss in non-lip places. Except for when you're kissing in lip places. Always be kissing. God I love your lips. You have good lips."

Derek released his shirt and bit down gently on Stiles's bottom lip, effectively cutting off Stiles's rambling. Then, finally, after days of wanting and wishing and hoping, he felt Derek's tongue edge past lips, past teeth, gently caressing and tasting Stiles's own tongue and Stiles gripped Derek's arms, reveling in the feel, the taste of Derek, finally, finally.

Then Derek pulled away. "But first. Dinner."

"We don't need dinner."

Derek grinned. "Of course we need dinner."

"I don't. I don't need dinner. In fact, the only thing I'm hungry for is you. The only place I can legally have you is here, in the privacy of my own bedroom. Let's stay here. Here is good."

"You're not getting anymore of this," Derek said with a quick kiss, "until I get food in my belly. You might not need food but I'm still a growing boy."

"All right, food, quick food, let's be quick, god I wish they invented transport beams already, come on, what's taking you so long, we don't need shoes, Jesus Christ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing chapter 12, the final chapter, now and it's... it's very um... not so much fluffy as... porny... everyone cool with that or should I rate this work as completed and post the next chapter as a NSFW epilogue?
> 
> Edit: I wrote Chapter 12, posted it, and then was not pleased with the amount of porn. I think I surprised a few people with the level of porn. So I'm going to rewrite the ending and post when I'm satisfied with it. Sorry!


End file.
